This raw sheep milk farmstead cheese is a Bellwether original. Smooth and full-flavored, itís a delicious table cheese. Try it with an aged red wine, bread and olives. Bellwether Farms first started to age sheep milk cheeses in 1992. After two years of making a fromage blanc they took their first trip to Italy. At the urging of many of their Italian influenced chefs and friends they focused on Tuscany. Cindy and Ed took that first trip with the goal of learning enough of a recipe to begin producing a Pecorino in Sonoma. After returning from the trip with pages of notes and even a few video clips they started making their cheeses.

Two years of experience making cheese gave Ed a much better understanding of what was involved. It was apparent that there were many techniques they were not using that
would give Bellwether more control over the quality of their cheeses. Experiencing the differences from one Pecorino to the next on this trip gave their cheesemaker a comfort level to explore the flavors of the farm's milk and cheeses and work to bring out those they preferred. Within two years they were phasing out their Pecorino Toscano in favor of what they would call San Andreas. By controlling the moisture level and the acid development Bellwether Farms was able explore flavors they found in their own herd's milk and cheeses to make a cheese that has a much smoother mouth-feel and a complex depth of flavor yet retains its classic sheep characteristics. While their sheep cheeses are ripening they develop a smear on the rind that contributes its own interesting and complementary flavor.